Lecture 1: Defining victims and

victimology

Today’s learning outcomes

• Know how to access module information and support

• Understand module expectations• Define victims and victimology• Identify early figures in victimology

http://victimology.louisegrove.com

Get in touch

• Module forum is the best way to ask questions (http://victimology.louisegrove.com/forum/ - you need to add an account to contribute)

• Follow the module Twitter account @victimologyLU for news and updates

• Office hours Fridays 11-1 in U325

• If an individual issue and you can’t make office hours, email L.E.Grove@lboro.ac.uk

Module expectations

• Engage with in-class discussions and debates

• Complete weekly tasks – see website for details

• Questions welcome throughout

• Don’t talk over others

• Mobile phones, laptops, tablets etc may be used to support your learning – keep them on silent

• You will struggle with exams if you have poor attendance

Lecture content

Week Lecture1 Defining victims and victimology2 Theoretical perspectives3 Who is the victim and how do we know?4 Victims of war crimes – war crime reportage John Coster, Citizens Eye5 Effects of victimisation6 Victim rights – past7 Victim rights – present8 Victim rights – future9 Can we prevent victimisation?10 Hidden victims11 Victims in an international context12 Revision week

Assessment: exam

• Two hour exam will test knowledge and understanding from across the whole module

• Essay style questions• 10 credit version, 4 questions (show breadtth of

knowledge)• 20 credit version, 2 question (show depth of

knowledge)

Assessment: coursework (20 credit only)

• Should we rebalance the criminal justice system in favour of victims?

• 2500 words.• Deadline: 11th December, before 4pm• Submission: via Turnitin on Learn, and hard copy

to the coursework box on 4th floor Brockington

What is a victim?

• Spend a few minutes talking to the people around you about what you think a victim is

• Think about some examples of victims and whether there is a broader definition

General victimology

• Mendelsohn, 1976 mentioned the study of five types • Victims of crime• Victims of one’s self• Victims of the social environment• Victims of technology• Victims of the natural environment

Why did victims start getting more attention?

Home Office (n.d.) Historical crime data 1898 – 2001/02. Accessed via. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/historical-crime-data

1898 1905 1912 1919 1926 1933 1940 1947 1954 1961 1968 1975 1982 1989 1996 2001/02 -

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

All recorded crime (Home Office data)

Ideal victims… and missing white woman syndrome

Images: Wikipedia

Victimism, victim rights, and victimologists

Image: Flickr/ Lost in Transit [Keep St Joe Weird]

Discussion point

• Should victims of crime be punished if they carry out acts of retaliatory ‘justice’? Why or why not?